Electric contact or current-taking device.



No. 663,750. Patented Dec. Il, |900.

E. GREIL & E. AUDIGER.

ELECTRIC CONTACT 0R CURRENT TAKING DEVICE.

(Application filed Jan. 1o, 1900. (nu Model.) 2 sheets-sheet No.663,750. A Patented Deuil, |900. E. GRE-IL &. E. AUDiGEH.

ELECTRIC'GONTACT 0R CURRENT TAKING DEVICE.

(Application led Jan. 10, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W VM

. vices in accordance with our invention.

ERNEST GREII. AND EMILE UDIGER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR'S TO THEELECTRIC LIGHTING BOARDS, LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.v

ELECTRIC CONTACT OR CURRENT-TAKING EViC.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters latent No. 663,750, dated Decemberil, IQO. v

ances, and more especially those intended foi" illuminating purposes.

` If we consider, for example, the case of appliances of the form ofcandlesticks or candelabra placed upona table, it has hitherto beennecessary with the means usually employed for taking the electriccurrent to conduct to the foot of the appliancea small cable,

. which is frequently the cause of much inconvenience, as it encumbersthe piece of furni- -ture upon which the appliance rests and rendersthis latter liable to be upset. Our invention serves to obviate thisdefect. In accordance therewith we connect the electric conductor notwith the illuminating device, but'with the piece of furniture itself,and we adapt in one or more positions upon such piece of furniturecontacts or current-taking de- We will now describe the saidcurrent-taking device, which possesses the advantage or' not presentingeither a projection or a cavity when arranged in position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents in cross-section andin plan a porl tion of a table upon which is mounted the lixed part ofour device. Fig. 2 shows in section and in external elevation theintermediate movable part, which is arranged between the said fixed partand a third piece which forms part of the illuminating device. Eig. lrepresents the third part in plan and in section. Fig. 4 shows insection the whole ofthe various parts when the appliance is arranged inan operative condition. Fig. 5 represents a table arranged in accordancewith our invention having adjacent conducting masses in parallel stripsor bands. Fig. G represents a table with superposed conducting masses.Fig. 7 shows in section a current-taking de- Application led January 10,1900. Serial No. 979. (No model.)

viceintended to be employed with superposed conducting masses.

The lined part, Fig. l, rigidly attached to the table or other piece offurniture, consists of a block a of insulating material-=such as woodebbnite, or the like-in which are embedded two conducting pieces ormasses b 19,' constituted, in the manner of the brushes ein-- ployed inelectrical apparatus, by means of a large number of metallic wiresarranged in juxtaposition. This block is embedded in the piece offurniturein such a manner as to .be flush with the upper surfacethereof, as

are also the masses or conducting pieces b b; These latter are connectedby their lower porvtions at c o with the electric conductors by means offlexible wires. The piece thus constituted is and remains embedded inthe piece of furniture and may be concealed by acloth or cover placedupon this latter. In the two masses or brushes Z1' b two' points d cl,which are rigidly connected with a small cylinder e, of insulatingmaterial, are adapted to enter. One of these points is in metallicconnection with a strip of nietalf, arranged at the bottom of a cavityg,'formed in the base of the cylinder opposite to that in which thepoints are situated. The other point communicates with a band of metalh, arranged upon the cylindrical surface of the block. When thiscylinder is placed upon the block o, the said points d d being engagedin the brushes, it projects from the table, and it is upon it that thebase of the appliance is engaged. In this base is fitted the part whichforms the third piece `of our device above referred to. This latter isformed of a blocks', comprising a recess supplied with a metallicpartitionj and in which the cylinder e may be maintained by friction. Atthe bottom of this recess` is provided a projecting metallic part c, oneportion of which, l, is adapted to enter within the other and is actedupon by a spring. The metal partitionj` is in coinmunication by means ofa conductor with one jecting metallic part it is connected with theother pole. y

When it is desired to render the apparatus operative', the cylinder e isplaced upon the of the poles of the lamp, Whilethe said profixed part d,the points d d being engaged in the metallic masses bb. Then upon thiscylinder is engaged the foot of the apparatus provided with the part t',in whose recess the cylinder-is adapted to enter, as already explained.

The current passes fron* the masses b b to the points d d, and fromthese latter itpasses, on the one hand, to the partition j along a handh and, on the other hand, to the projecting metallic part 7c by way ofthe metallic partf and then proceeds to the lamp through the conductorsof the apparatus. This method entirely obviates the necessity for thepresence of cond noting-wires upon Vthe furniture, and to all appearancethe illuminating appliance is merely placed thereon. Of course severalsuch'devices may be provided upon the same piece of furniture for thepurpose of enabling several appliances to be arranged upon it or ofenabling` the position of the said appliances to be changed.

XVe would point out that we do not in any way confine ourselves to thedevice described. For example, We may make the masses b b of v ariousshapes. Thus, for instance, they may consist of two parallel bands of acertain length, of two concentric circles,"&.c.,

thus enabling the appliance to he arrangedupon any point in the lengthof the bands or concentric circles. It should be remarked that incertain cases the points d d may'form part of the lamp-base itself.

A table arranged in such a manner as to permit of a lamp or the likebeing placed upon any point of the same has formed in its surfacegrooves, within which are lodged metallic cubes b or ,elsebands ofconducting metal, as above stated. Upon the surface of the table thusprovided are arranged a sheet of asbestos 'm and a sheet of india-rubbern. The connections with the cables or bands b are eected in any suitablemanner. It will of course be understood that at the extremities of thetable the section of the conduct-- ingbands are covered with aninsulatingsheet. We are thus able to arrange the conducting masses J bin the form of superposed bands or sheets separated by aninsulatinglayer 0, Fig. 6. In this case the points d d would be ofunequal lengths, and the longer point should be covered. by aninsulatingsheath p at that portion of it which is in the thickness ofthe first conducting-sheet. This arrangement vmay be applied topartitions, floors, or the like, and covers may be made which may merelybe placed upon the table if it is desired that this latter should remainintact.

We would point out that the points d d might be` adapted directly to thebase of the I vincandescent lamp which itisdesired to place tablishmentof luminous letters or signs, cspecially for advertising purposes. Wealso reserve the rightl to constitute the metallic masses intended forthe reception of the points in various manners, enabling electricalcommunication with the points and their penetration. They may consist ofmetallic wires, thin metal sheets', lead shot, sheet-tin, plumbago, &c.The points need not necessarily belxed to a separate part e, but maybeadapted directly to the appliance. In certain cases this wouldconstitute a simplification of the device.

In certain circumstances theinvention may be simplified by mounting thelamp directly upon a socket which is rigidly connected with a suitablepart. This extremely simple arrangement may be useful in cert-ainapplica-A tions of ourinvention where decorative effect is not anobject. 4

Vhat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

v 1. The combination of a plurality of electric parallelconducting-bands laid in the grooyes of a table or other support andconnected alternately to the positive and negative poles of an electricgenerator, an insulating-block, a pair of conducting projections`mounted on separated portions of saidblock,`

a socket-piece in the base of a translating device adapted to receivesaid block and contacts on said socket-piece adapted to engage saidplates and connected tothe conductors leading to said translatingdevice.

3. The combination with a plurality of electric contacts connectedrespectively with the positive and negative poles of an electricgenerator, and mounted in a table or other suitable support, of aninsulating-block having conducting projections thereon adapted to'penetrate said contacts, contact-plates, one embracing saidV block andthe other seated in a recess in the upper end thereof, a socketpiecel inthe base of a translating device adapted to receive said block, anannular contact on said socket-piece connected with one of theconductors leading to said translating device and adapted to engage `thecontact-plate embracing said block, and a yieldingly-mountedcontact onsaid socket-piece connected with the other conductor leading to saidvtranslating device and adapted to en- IIO gage the contact-plate seatedin the recess in said block.

tric contacts connected respectively with the positive and negativepoles of an electric generator, mounted one above the other in a tableor other support and separated by a layer 5 of insulating material, -anda layer-of easilypenetrable 'insulating material on the top of saidtable or support above said contacts, of

a circuit-closing device having projections thereon terminating atdierent levels, and xo adapted to .be inserted through said layer ofpenetrable insulating materiaLto respectively engage said contacts, andinsulating material on one of said projections, as and for the purposeset forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed our r5 names to this specication inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST GREIL. EMILE AUDIGrER.l Witnesses:

GUsTAvE DUMONT, EDWARD P. MAGLEAN.

